Gender differences in mental health
By Liz Lockhart
A recent study has shown that when it comes to mental health men and women are quite different. According to this study men are more likely to develop substance abuse and antisocial problems whilst women tend to develop anxiety and depression.
The study has been published by the American Psychological Association and is published online in APA’s Journal or Abnormal Psychology.
The study looked at the prevalence by gender of different types of common mental illnesses. They found that women with anxiety disorders are more likely to internalise their emotions which can result in withdrawal, loneliness and depression. On the other hand, men are is more likely to externalise emotions. This can lead to aggressive, coercive, impulsive and noncompliant behaviour.
The research suggested that it is this difference in internalising and externalising that accounts for the gender differences in the prevalence rates of many mental disorders.
For this study researchers analysed data collected in 2001 and 2002 by a National Institutes of Health survey of 43,093 UK residents. The individuals were 18 years of age or older and were civilians and not institutionalised.
57% were women, 56.9% were white 19.3% per Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% were African-American, 3.1% Asian, native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 1.6% were American Indian or native Alaskan. The data was representative of the race/ethnicity, age and gender distribution of the US population. For their analysis the researchers examined the participants lifetime mental health history as well as over the prior 12 months.
The authors cited prior research which found that women suffer more than men from depression, because ‘women ruminate more frequently than men. They focus repetitively on their negative emotions and problems rather than engaging in more active problem solving’.
The research findings support gender-focused treatment and prevention efforts.
Lead author Nicholas R. Eaton, MA, of the University of Minnesota said ‘In women treatment might focus on coping and cognitive skills to help prevent rumination from developing into clinically significant depression or anxiety’
‘In men, treatment for impulsive behaviours might focus on rewarding planned actions and shaping aggressive tendencies into non-destructive behaviour’ Eaton added.
The report concluded that past research also indicated that women report more neuroticism and more frequent stressful life events than men do before the onset of a disorder which indicates that environmental stressors may also contribute to internalising.
